Clamp



. 1,566,073 w. F. CONKLIN CLAMP Filed June 5. 1924 iii) Ill)

Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM'F. CONKLIN. OF TARENTUM, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLAMP.

7 Application filed June 5,

1 '0 m7 ii /mm it may; comic m2.

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. CONKLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at llarentum. in the county of Allegijheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improvement in rope clamps for temporarilyholding one or more rope ends between a movable wedgin'g member and apair of 'wedging horns. It is designed for easily and positively ening arope, cord, or similiar flexible member, as a clothes line. and foreasily and quickly loosening it,'as hereinafter described. I

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a view of the device in front elevation Fig. 2 is a. sideview;

Fig. 3 is a plan view;

Fig. 4- is a cross section on the line Il -IV of F ig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the wedgi'nn; lever;

Fig. (i is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the device as used with tworopes or cords;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to F ig. 2, showing a modified arrangement ofthe guiding hooks; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

The device as a whole comprises a base piece 2 for screwing or boltingto a post 3 or other suitable support by screw or bolt holes l proridcdwith av pair of integral wedging horns 5, 53. and av wedging; lever (ipivoted at T to a forwardly extending bracket 8 of the base 2.

Horus extend forwardly from the base and thoi r inner edges or facestaper inwardly and are rounded as at 9, forming an inwardly convergingtrackway for the lever 6 and its co-acting wede'e portion 10.

. no wedge portion 10 of the lever is its active gripping portion. Itsside faces taper both downwardly and inwardly, so that, as it is thrustinwardly in the are described from pivoting joint '1", the rope will beclamped between such faces and the opposite embracing; tapering androunded faces of the horns 5.

In order to maintain the rope at all times across faces 10, the lever Gis provided with an inner prong 11, providing; between it and the levera crotch or socket 1Q smoothly 192 Serial No. 718,005.

rounded and concaved, for positive holding, engagement of the rope atall times as the lever is moved.

Outer guiding'hooks 13, 13, extend laterally beyond the horns 5 and aresmoothly rounded for sliding and holding engagen'icnt of the rope, as itis drawn taut before clamping.

hen used on a single rope, as in Fig. 3, lever 6 is raised and the ropeis inserted in crotch 12, and laid across both horns 5, with theextended line passing tlurough one of the hooks 1.3, and the other orloose end through the other hook, as in Fig. 52. rope is now drawntautto take up the slack between any distant support and the whereuponthe lever (B is thrust inwardtv by the hand.

Owing to the crotch 12 positively on ing the rope, it will be heldacross the opposite tapering faces of wedge 10, and the inward movementof the lever will swing the opposite Wedge faces downwardly and nwardlybetween the horns, with the intervening rope at each side. Owing to thedouble taper of the movable wedge, downwardly and inwardly, with anglesonly slightly more acute than the converging; inner faces of the horns,the gripping action on the rope is very powerful and effective, andwithout any tendency to loosen.

Furthermore, as the lever is swung inwardly, the rope will be pulleddownwardly between the wedging laces, and against the reaction of thetightened rope, the pull. of which tends to maintain the edging el'l ri.

hen two rope ends are ripped tor holdmg oppositely extei'iding ropes, asin chum, ingthe ends of a variously hung; clothes he. the effect is thesame, the ropes lying sizle by side across the faces of wedge 10,through and aoove notch 12, and tightly clamping both in the same manneras with one.

In such application and use, the lever is first swung forward. until thecrotch is above the horns and the ropes are inserted crosswise and arealso inserted through the hooks 13 at each side, as in Fig. (3. Theslack is then taken up by pulling the loose ends downward, and whentaut, the lever is thrown in as described above.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I show a modified construction in which the hooks 13extend upwardly above the horns 5, instead of laterally. Such fo "n1 ispreferable in certain cases, depending on the general direction of therope or ropes to be tightened, as for instanee, on a fiagstafi' or mastof a boat, with the rope or ropes disposed vertically. It will beunderstood, of course, that the general function of the hooks 18 or 13is for directing or guiding and holding the rope either in a horizontal,vertical, or any other position. Also, that the clamp may be secured andoperated with equal success in any position best adapted to exerting thedesired tension or withstanding the strain or pull, as on a floor orceiling.

The device is comparatively simple, con sisting of but two main partswhich may conveniently be made of cast metal, as aluminum, capable ofmaintaining its surfaces smooth and uncorroded, and is of low cost andvery durable. It may obviously be made to suit various sizes of ropes,cords, etc, while a clamp adapted to hold a threeeighth inch rope willalso clamp any smaller si"/.e, as an average size cord, merely bypressing the wedge lever inwardly until it makes a wedging grip.

The invention may be variously changed in design, proportions, orotherwise by the skilled mechanic within the scope of the followingclaims, and may be used in different positions or locations to suitlocal conditions or adaptations, as the tying oi boat painters, hitchinganimals, etc.

hat I claim is:

1. A clamp comprising a base provided with a pair of outwardly diverginghorns, a movable wedge member between the horns, and guiding devices formaintaining the article to be clamped between. the horns and the wedgemember.

2. In combination with rigid lateral members having inwardly convergingcontinuously straight gripping faces, an intervening movable wedgemember provided with inwardly and downwardly tapering faces.

3. In combination with a supporting base having a pair of outwardlyflaring rounded horns and lateral guiding hooks, a lever pivoted to thebase having a middle wedge portion operable between the horns.

e. In combination with a supporting base having a pair of outwardlyflaring rounded horns and lateral guiding hooks, a lever pivoted to thebase having a middle wedge portion operable between the horns andprovided with a guiding crotch.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. CUNKLIN.

